Jón Páll Bjarnason

Jón Páll Bjarnason was a jazz guitarist and one of the pioneers of Icelandic modern jazz. He worked professionally from a young age, performed in Iceland and abroad, and was known for an exploratory approach to guitar playing and musical study. His career included periods in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States before he returned to Iceland.

In later years, Bjarnason taught at the FÍH Music School and the Akranes Music School. He helped establish the Reykjavík Jazz Club and appeared on numerous recordings under his own name and with others. His 2002 collaboration 2 jazz gítarar with Ólafur Gaukur brought together two influential Icelandic jazz guitarists.